This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Mercury Gold Star: The Mercury's Web Comment of the Week!
Posted by Alison Hallett on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 5:29 PM
Do you need context for this? You don't.
I will too, now. So thanks for that. I guess.
Fashion Gretchen Jones F/W '12
Posted by Marjorie Skinner on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 5:14 PM
New York Fashion Week is just kicking off, and our pal Gretchen Jones (who I'm sure you'll recall left Portland for the Big Apple after winning Project Runway not so long ago) was one of the first out of the gates. She's always hit bohemian notes in her collections, and this one has a heavily Southwestern theme—risky business, in my opinion, but in designing her own digital textiles, Jones was able to retain full control of the mood, which was cut with darker elements. In fact, this collection was greatly influenced by the passing of Jones' father just after her collection for last season debuted, and both his Apache heritage and themes of transitioning between life and death are palpable in the clothing, which was also informed by Nico's Desertshore, Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, and Poe's The Raven. Texture was as important as print in the materials here, and the pieces in latticed wool in burnt orange and white are by far my favorites, as in the pantsuit shown below. Her installation presentation, with the models posed around sand and stones is characteristically dramatic, but I hope there's a follow-up photo shoot in the works, since photos from yesterday are frustratingly shadowy, but check out some more of the better ones over on MOD.
- Ariel Clay
Cops / City Hall Should Portland Ban Cops From Using Horses and Pepper Spray to Bust Up Protests?
Posted by Denis C. Theriault on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 4:48 PM
Portland's Charter Review Commission—volunteers responsible for helping amend what's basically the city's constitution—is holding a public hearing this Monday, February 13, on a pair of police accountability proposals that at least a few members would like to see voters enshrine.
Both address the tactics police use to break up protests—methods that attained new notoriety amid the recent Occupy Portland protests, even though they've also been on advocates' hit list for years.
Getting these changes on the ballot, let alone persuading voters to back them, won't be easy. No doubt many will argue the police bureau needs these tools weapons at their disposal in the case of a genuine riot, and not merely an assemblage of activists blocking a road for a spell while they demonstrate their freedom of speech.
Minutes from a charter commission meeting in December offer a glimpse at the chilly response police measures (or Occupy-backed policy changes like instant-runoff voting) can expect from the Portland City Council. The council typically is tasked with deciding on the commission's recommendations for the ballot.
Ice and/or Fire
Let's Play the Game of Love Thrones
Posted by Erik Henriksen on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 3:17 PM
The standard thinking when it comes to television is that the audience should like a show's characters; that way, they'll be more inclined to tune in every week to spend time with those characters. So maybe one of the reasons I like Game of Thrones so much is because holy shit, so many of its characters are repugnant. Granted—and, so far, more in the books than the TV show—those pulling the stories' strings generally do a pretty good job of making you come around to characters you initially hated, and vice versa, but still: Game of Thrones is filled with hate-worthy (and fine, love-worthy) characters.
In fact, looking through io9's batch of new images from the show's second season, I found myself sticking all the characters pictured into, with a few exceptions, two categories: "HATE" and "LOVE." (Fun party trick: Ask any of my ex-girlfriends how "emotionally mature" I am!) So join me, won't you, on a journey to Westeros... and a journey into HATE and LOVE.
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Holiday / Drunk My (Drunken) Chocolate-Free Valentine's
Posted by Clare Gordon on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 3:01 PM
Good Thursday, Blogtown! I'm Clare Gordon, The Mercury's newest and greenest intern. Nice to meet you and please don't eat me alive—I'm still learning.
So whether you're blissfully matched or romantically challenged, Valentine's Day should involve a substantial amount of chocolate, pastries, ice cream... right? You name it, if it's got enough sugar and class, I'd never say no on February 14th. So the buzzkill of winter's sweetest holiday is my dentist, who scheduled me a cavity filling (not the fun kind) on a day when I would otherwise be indulging in my favorite treats. (Don't miss me too much, Cacao. I'll be back soon, Pix!)
Instead, I'll be getting my teeth drilled at 11:30 am on Tuesday, and spend the better part of the holiday with a lopsided smile... and NO CHOCOLATE.
No doubt A Room With a View for the third (or fourth?) time is on the agenda while my face slowly regains mobility. (Apologies to the housemates for drooling on the couch. I swear it's the numbing shot, not my crush on Julian Sands... this time.)
But what about post-Sands? Since solid treats are off the menu, I'm determined to consciously ignore any and all studies linking drinking to tooth decay and imbibe my Valentine's Day indulgences... and I'm ready to experiment. So help me out, Blogtown. What and where is your preferred cocktail? The Dark and Stormy is my standby, but I feel like diversifying. Let me in on your favorite fancy drink and the bar that makes it best and I'll send some good Valentine's Day vibes your way. Not that you need them :)
Food / Poll Mandatory French Fries on Sandwiches: CONDEMN OR ALLOW?
Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 2:30 PM
So here's a bit of a service industry ethical conundrum... a certain person who may or may not work at this office told me that he went to a certain very famous food cart that serves fries on their "big" sandwiches, and ordered his sandwich WITHOUT FRIES. (He apparently feels this makes the sandwich too "greasy.") So when he orders the "big" roast beef sandwich without the fries on top, the person taking the order nicely refused, saying something like it was the "policy of the business" to always include the fries because otherwise it would mess with the "flavor profiles." (Again, this is hearsay, and summarizes the idea of the conversation rather than the actual quote.)
So the customer says he said, "But I don't want fries on my sandwich," to which the cart employee allegedly responded, "Well, perhaps you'd be happier buying your sandwich elsewhere." (Again, the employee was polite about it.)
SO WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS? (Please note that I did not include any "Shut up, vegan!" options in the following poll... too easy.) Feel free to discuss the particulars of this situation in the comments!
Events It's Happening Tonight!
Posted by Alison Hallett on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 2:14 PM
KHAAAAAAANNNN!—Today's your last chance to catch the great 35mm programming at the Beer and Movie Festival, with screenings of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Boogie Nights, The Untouchables, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Conan the Barbarian! There are no wrong choices in this scenario. EH
Academy Theater, 7818 SE Stark, $4, see Film Times for showtimes
BOOK LOVE—Hey, remember books? Literary Mixtape is your favorite writers sharing their favorite works from other authors on a tiny stage in a tiny bar with good drinks and attractive people. This month features Booker-nominated Patrick deWitt, plus bikey author Evan P. Schneider and Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook author Erin Ergenbright. SM
Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny, 7 pm, FREE
(Both of our picks tonight are organized by Willamette Week writers! We're getting soft.)
LGBTQI-Z / Books After Gay Controversy, Romance Writers Contest Canceled
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 1:29 PM
Galleycat tells us about a dumb contest with a dumb name that got cancelled because of a dumb rule:
The Romance Writers of America has cancelled its “Where the Magic Begins” writing contest after their refusal to accept same-sex entries created a controversy...The cancellation comes after authors around the blogosphere expressed anger about the new rules. Author Courtney Milan blogged: “You can write about aliens from another planet who have tentacles, or barbed sexual organs. You can write degrading rapes. None of those things are barred from entry in the More than Magic contest, and if you write them, they’ll try to find judges who are predisposed to like your books. But they won’t do that if you write same sex romance—even if it’s a sweet romance with no sexual contact whatsoever.”
On their blog post announcing the end of the contest, Romance Writers Ink seems to not get the point. As an excuse for ignoring same-sex romance, they say, "we also opted not to accept YA entries." Because barring young adult fiction from your contest is the exact same thing as discrimination.
Games $880K Says Adventure Games Aren't Dead
Posted by Earnest "Nex" Cavalli on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 1:23 PM
Yesterday, Double Fine Productions launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a new old-school adventure game. The goal was $400,000. In less than 24 hours, the campaign has pulled down $880,000, and the dollars just keep rolling in.
There are two important things going on here.
First, Double Fine is a company founded by Tim Schafer, one of the brilliant minds behind classic LucasArts adventure games like Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle. Joining him in the creation of this crowd-funded game will be Ron Gilbert, the man behind Maniac Mansion and the first two Secret of Monkey Island games. Whenever this game is released, expect it to be hilarious.
Second, despite media jerks like myself decrying the death of the adventure game genre over the past decade, it is very apparent that people still have affection for those point-and-click games. If nothing else, this should convince publishers like EA and Activision that there is a market for games that don't focus exclusively on busty martial artists or hyper-macho gun-toting military folk.
If you want to get in on the action, visit the Kickstarter page sometime in the next month and throw down some cash. The rewards on offer are pretty solid, and a mere $15 donation will net you a copy of the final game.
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TV (UPDATED) Are You Ready for Comic Book Men? Hell, is Anyone?
Posted by Bobby Roberts on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 12:59 PM
(Story now UPDATED with details that move anticipation levels down from "shrug" to "maaaaaaan, c'mon.")
Last year, AMC followed up Mopey Whiners Look For a Little Girl for Six Fucking Episodes (aka The Walking Dead) with a show called The Talking Dead, hosted by Chris Hardwick, in which Chris and a parade of his celebri-nerd friends discussed the preceding show. Often, more stuff actually happened on Talking than Walking, such as Jonah Ray coughing up a one-liner, and Patton Oswalt making a fart noise with his mouth.
This year, AMC follows up Maybe It Won't Be That Bad Now That Darabont's Gone with something called Comic Book Men. What the hell is that? A new one-hour drama about the early days of the comics industry? Ooh! That'd be slick: A sepia-toned dystopia, set in the 40s/50s, where gangsters provided the funds, publishers were less moral than the gangsters, and the few artists/writers who managed to eke out a basic success were blamed by the government for poisoning the minds of children?
- via getthebigpicture.net
Nope.
After the jump for the explanation as to how Comic Book Men is supposed to be like Antiques Roadshow for nerds.
The Apocalypse / Uncaged / Media Tonight! KATU Wants Everyone to Be Afraid of Marauding Crazy People!
Posted by Denis C. Theriault on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Have you seen this yet? KATU is airing a melodramatic commercial for an "investigative" piece tonight that's apparently all about how the Oregon State Hospital keeps on letting crazy people lumber free from decrepit cages to menace innocents and little children.
They're pulling out all the stops: sinister music, a raspy narrator, gritty black-and-white footage—even a hallway confrontation between a reporter and a state official. Update! Here's a YouTube embed; seems the KATU embed stopped working. Update again! And then the station's YouTube embed went down, too. Curious. Very curious. I've left a message with the newsroom to find out what's what. Another update! The Mental Health Association of Portland shrewdly made their own copy and posted it to YouTube. So it lives again.
Good for them and their gumshoe reporting, right? Wrong. Mental health advocates are ripping it as a bunch of stigmatizing, insensitive hogwash.
The Mental Health Association of Portland is calling the story "crap" and wants people to call KATU and raise hell:
The Mental Health Association of Portland has sifted through a lot of crap news stories about the Oregon State Hospital—but this looks to be a doozy.What’s true? The hospital HAD four basic problems — decrepit and dangerous buildings, demoralized under-educated staff, stigma/fear/panic on the part of just about everyone but especially mental health providers and the media, and the association with Psychiatric Security Review Board.
Number one is resolved. Number two is changing fast. Number three, as evidenced by Dan Tilken‘s hysterical reporting above, is still a basic every day problem. Number four was addressed with major legislative changes in 2010.
Tonight KATU is the problem, not the solution. Too bad Dan couldn’t find a real story.
And here's what the Multnomah County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness had to say:
KATU is running inflammatory, fear-mongering ad spots about people being treated at the state hospital. The key word in Oregon State Hospital is "hospital"—not prison—as KATU portrays.
Lucky for you, we've obtained an advance copy of KATU's special report! It's after the cut.
Mercury / Music This Week's Mercury Music Section
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 12:14 PM
- Adarsha Benjamin
- The Pharmacy
Another week, another Mercury music section to wad up in fury as you read the profoundly irritating news that Portlandia is publishing its own travel guide to Portland.
Two friends growing up on Vashon Island start a band. That band becomes the Pharmacy, and the Pharmacy is here to disprove any rumors about rock and roll's supposed demise.
LISTEN:
The Pharmacy - "Dig Your Grave"
Our metal writer proclaims that Arizona's Vektor is the most legit metal band in the US. He obviously hasn't heard my metal band, LEGÏTIMATÖR—we do a mean metal cover of "2 Legit 2 Quit."
LISTEN:
Plus, we also have a special Valentine's Day playlist of the creepiest love songs of all time, with the Crystals, Roxy Music, Kenny Rogers, and more. These are the songs that you don't want to put on that Valentine's mixtape for your sweetie.
And a whole candy box full of Up and Comings.
Events / Film PIFF Liftoff
Posted by Marjorie Skinner on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 11:59 AM
It's a big day for film buffs: The Portland International Film Festival is kicking off its two-and-a-half weeks of screenings with its big opening night screening and party at the Newmark with Nel Centro food, comped drinks (including the "PIFFtini") and live music from Swing Papillon, plus a screening of Salmon Fishing In The Yemen. Scripted by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire), directed by Lasse Hallström, and starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, and (the performance highlight, delivered by Kristin Scott Thomas) it's got quite the pedigree, though its tours of Scottish estates and Yemeni landscapes are a mite more captivating than its central plotlines. Still there's nothing like that opening-night excitement, and a $25 ticket for a movie, a band, and dranks is actually kind of a smoking deal.
There's plenty else to look forward to in the coming weeks, too. We've often criticized the festival for not engaging a younger generation of film lovers with sexy, exciting films. (There have always been gems at this festival, but it was often hard to recognize them in the PIFF catalog.) This year is different. There are tons of films about and aimed at young, sexy, exciting audiences like you. I've highlighted a few of them in the film section this week, plus there are more mini-reviews in Film Shorts, and we've got all hands on deck reviewing more, so check back for ongoing coverage. Meanwhile behold: Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, which, yes, is literally about airlifting salmon to Yemen:
Crafty Surfboard Building Class? Okay!
Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 11:29 AM
I have a sneaking suspicion this may be of interest to more than a few of you crafty people out there. Grain Surfboard Co. out of York, Maine is coming to Portland to give a wooden surfboard building class from March 4 through 10th. And each board will be made from "locally salvaged redwood" milled right here in Oregon. More info:
Each students attends the class for 7 days, builds their board from scratch with help from our two instructors, and goes home with a finished board ready to glass. All materials, instruction and 2 practically gourmet meals are included in the price.
Classes are filling up fast, and apparently only a couple spots are left, so if you're interested in building your own board, find out more info here! While not exactly cheap, this class sounds fun, and not only will you learn a poop-ton, the board you'll go home with is gorgeous.
- via Grain Surfboards
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Election 2012 The Republican Race Is Getting Democrats Excited About Voting
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 11:14 AM
Take this with a grain of salt, but Public Policy Polling has posted some interesting numbers:
Our last national survey for Daily Kos found that 58% of Democrats were 'very excited' about voting this fall, compared to 54% of Republicans. Six months ago the figures were 48% of Democrats 'very excited' and Republicans at the same 54%.
Self-described teabaggers aren't as excited about voting as they were in July, a quarter of conservatives are not excited at all about voting, and African-Americans are more excited about voting than any other group of voters.
Artsy "Don't Call Her Vagina A Beautiful Flower. Please Don't."
Posted by Alison Hallett on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 10:57 AM
So begins one of Scott Poole's poems from his new poetry collection Sliding Glass Door, which he read from at last night's Planned Parenthood storytelling benefit "It's Not Me, It's You." I bought the book for my mother as a thank-you present for not actually attending the event, because his poems are hilarious and poignant and I think she would like them, and also because I am very grateful she didn't show up to hear any of the mom-unfriendly stories I told during my lightening-round face-off with Sarah Mirk. Sarah won our portion of events, unsurprisingly (she has some of the worst dating stories ever, and in fact I think she should share some of them in the comments... Sarah?), taking home a copy of fellow storyteller Sarah Wexler's Awful First Dates as her victory spoils. And in a stroke of divine, hilarious coincidence, the story Wexler read was about going on a date with the author of a cookbook called How to Get Laid—attentive readers will recognize that as a thinly veiled reference to the Cook to Bang guy, whom I got into an email fight with a couple years ago. I still can't believe she actually went on a date with the dude who invented "Get Stuffed and Bust-a-Nut Squash." Amazing.
The best part of what was a really great night all around, though, was Kevin Sampsell's story about losing his virginity to a prostitute. I admit that before the show I gave Kevin some shit for reading a pre-published excerpt from his memoir A Common Pornography instead of telling a new story—but that's because it's been a while since I've read it, and kinda forgotten how brutally funny and soul-baring parts of it are. He killed the entire room with his story, which transitions beautifully from the comic awkwardness of two teenaged boys idly checking out prostitutes as they cruise small-town Washington streets, to the grimy, empty sadness of Kevin actually buying one. It was a great, great reading, and because I don't think anyone actually promoted the book last night—it's called A Common Pornography, and if you want to get it you should buy it at Powell's 'cause Kevin works there.
Thanks to everybody who turned up last night, and to hosts Cort and Fatboy for being their typical hilarious selves, boner jokes and all. It was a great crowd and doubtless raised some serious cash for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon. And hey, if you missed it? You can still give 'em some money right here.
Events / Music Tonight in Music
Posted by Courtney Ferguson on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 10:44 AM
- Animal R&R ( Via)
Dante's—System & Station, The Jet Age, Animal R&R, 9 pm
Alberta Rose Theatre—John Gorka, Rose Cousins, 8 pm, $15
Bunk Bar—Milo Green, Family of the Year, 10 pm, $8
Doug Fir—Wax Fingers, Sun Angle, Glass Knees, 9 pm, $6
Ella Street Social Club—The Pharmacy, The Shivas, Ghost Mom, Mythological Horses, 9 pm, $5
Holocene—NYC to PDX: A Dance Party: Salvatore Principato, Morgan Geist, Nathan Detroit, 9 pm, $5
Music Millennium—Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, 6 pm, free, all ages
Rotture—I've Got a Hole in my Soul: Beyondadoubt, Brice Nice, 9 pm, $5
Tiga—Jason Urick, 9 pm, free
Tonic Lounge—A Volcano, Eiger Sanction, Monoplane, $5
Wonder Ballroom—YACHT, Lovers, Jeffrey Jerusalem, 9 pm, $13-15, all ages
Politics / Music President Obama Listens to AgesandAges
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 10:29 AM
- AP Photo
Politico just posted Obama's new campaign playlist—I didn't know there was such a thing, but there you are—and it looks like Portland's own AgesandAges made the cut. Apparently our president enjoys rocking out to the massed chorale of their excellent song "No Nostalgia."
Actually, this is a damn perfect presidential campaign song for Obama. Take a look at the lyrics:
When I walk, there will be noAgesandAges join other music heavyweights on the playlist, including Wilco, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and—wait. Two songs by Darius Rucker?
Speculation, no act to follow
And my words, they will be strong
Find your way, feel free to come
Peep the whole playlist, and listen to AgesandAges below.
LISTEN:
AgesandAges - "No Nostalgia"
Election 2012 THE ROCK IN 2012
Posted by Erik Henriksen on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Today's incredibly inspirational quote from The Rock:
Right now the best way that I can impact the world is through entertainment. One day, and that day will come, I can impact the world through politics. The great news is that I am American, therefore I can become President. (Via.)
Good day.
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Dance Dance Varieties
Posted by Jenna Lechner on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 9:59 AM
- Blaine Truitt Covert
- Daniel Kirk and Eric Skinner in Flying Over Emptiness
The Skinner/Kirk Dance Ensemble made a rare debut of work last week. Seeing both tEEth and Skinner/Kirk perform within several days of one another got me excited at how truly diverse Portland’s contemporary dance scene is. Where one (tEEth) is edgy, hinging on absurdity and a certain amount of steady discomfort, the other is balletic and performed with a permanent smile. Maybe the best word I can think of for Skinner/Kirk’s performance last week is “pleasant”; though no doubt it was also awe-inspiring.
Eric Skinner and Daniel Kirk have been dancing together for a long time—since 1989, in some shape or form; they co-founded BodyVox in the late ‘90s. Current members of BodyVox, every now and then they create their own program as the Skinner/Kirk Dance Ensemble. Their work is insanely athletic and demanding, making you marvel at the power and grace of the human body. (Or, at least, of their human bodies.) Watching the duet One, performed by Skinner and Kirk—on a trapeze, no less—and multiple gasps went up throughout the audience, with people whispering, “They’re so strong!”
Oh, You Kids! CAT BREADING UPDATE: Which Mercury Employee Succumbed to the Pressure?
Posted by Bobby Roberts on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 9:45 AM
As was pointed out in yesterday's call to arms, you all need to get in on this cutting holes in bread and shoving it onto your cat's fuckin face thing. And yet, not a single one of the five (FIVE!) commenters who saw fit to weigh in on this amazing new meme posted a picture of their own kitty rocking the finest in baked-goods couture.
Pussies.
I was discouraged by this turn of events, until this picture hit my inbox:
Which prompts the question: The question can now be answered:
$$$ / Busey! Gary Busey Files for "Butt-horn!"—I Mean, "Bankruptcy"
Posted by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Guys! Gary Busey is filing for bankruptcy! From the AP:
The actor and reality show star does not state a reason for the filing. His manager Ron Sampson wrote in a statement the filing provides Busey "a new and clear path" to personal and career success.The filing states the 67-year-old has less than $50,000 in assets.
I have no reason for blogging about this other than to repost this video... AND RE-POST IT I SHALL!
That scene is worth more than all the gold doubloons in the world.
News Good Morning News!
Posted by Sarah Mirk on Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 9:28 AM
Yay WA Gays! The legislature passes gay marriage! Now all equality needs is a sign-off from the governor.
New Nukes: The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves the first new nuclear reactors in the US since 1978.
Prince Racks Up Kills!!! Prince Harry is deployed to Afghanistan to "kill insurgents," like the world is a video game.
Femme Front: The Pentagon catches up to the late 20th century, nixing some restrictions on the jobs women can have in the military.
Obama's Approval Rating Sort of Improves: For some strange reason, the past two years have been pretty rough on Obama's economic approval rating. Maybe his new campaign mix tape is helping his image?
Backing Off No Child Left Behind: The Obama administration is letting 10 states opt out of the controversial education program.
Assault in Homs: Live updates from the bloody trouble in Syria.
Greeks Ink Deal: Greece agrees to cut its spending in exchange for a massive bailout from the EU.
Everybody Start Driving Again: The ice caps are melting at serious speed—but not as fast as scientists thought.
Book Fight! Major bookstores like Barnes and Nobel are boycotting Amazon titles.
In Sad Implosion News: Kodak is going to stop making cameras.
New York Fashion Week Begins: Let us ogle the 16-year-olds and wonder if they're sad.
Whales: Not People. A somewhat hilarious ruling on PETA's anti-Seaworld case.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Portland Downtown Retail Big and Small: Trillium and Target
Posted by Marjorie Skinner on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 4:10 PM
The PDX Pop-Up Shop program—part of the Downtown Marketing Initiative—has claimed another victory in its quest to fill the empty storefronts in Portland's city center. Trillium Artisans, the non-profit aimed at supporting low-income artists in their development of sustainable small business plans, has kept a storefront on SE Foster since 1999, but as one of four holiday pop-ups in the 2011 edition of the program, they've tasted the success that visibility and foot traffic can bring and have reopened permanently at 318 SW Taylor after having gone dark with the others after the close of the season on December 31. Trillium celebrates its grand re-opening today, so stop in from 4-5:30 these evening to browse around with some wine and cheese, and take 10% off all items today through the 11th.
While Trillium wasn't my favorite of the four 2011 pop-ups—that would have been Boys' Fort—its eclectic brand of environmentally minded (all products must be at least 50% recycled/reclaimed materials) adds a nice counterpoint to other recent, more corporate additions like Sephora, the new Nike store, and... the new Target store moving into the Galleria, which has been openly discussed for months but has today gotten final confirmation.
The city has something of a reputation for fending off big box stores whose politics aren't up to Portland's liberal snuff, but the push to revitalize downtown overrides such concerns. The fact that confirmation of this comes on the very same day as Trillium's celebration seems like a healthy indicator that downtown can handle both ends of the commercial scale. Target's not slated to open until 2013, though, so fair warning to downtown boutiques and shoppers alike. Oh, and Wieden + Kennedy too; living close to an ex can be so awkward.
Religion / Election 2012 Santorum Says Obama Might Force the Catholic Church to Hire Female Priests
Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 3:59 PM
Oh, no! This morning, Rick Santorum said that President Obama might force the Catholic Church into not treating women as lesser beings than men:
This is a president who, just recently, in this Hosanna-Tabor case was basically making the argument that Catholics had to, you know, maybe even had to go so far as to hire women priests to comply with employment discrimination issues. This is a very hostile president to people of faith. He’s a hostile president, not just to people of faith, but to all freedoms.
Okay, first of all, this is a bullshit scare tactic that's not based in any kind of reality. But second of all: It's clearly impossible for women to take on the priesthood. As everybody knows, women's bodies simply cannot handle the Word of God being delivered directly into them. Their little baby brains simply weren't "intelligently designed" for it! Only men's rugged frames can carry the immense weight of the Truth of Jesus. (Also, women probably would not enjoy raping children as much as male members of the clergy do, which could lead to some awkward breakroom conversations.) Let's leave the gold lamé gowns and fancy hats to the fellas, the way Jesus intended, okay?
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Mandatory French Fries on Sandwiches: CONDEMN OR ALLOW? by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey
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Black Bloc Trashes Belmont; Cops Make Arrests by Nathan Gilles
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TriMet Budget Cuts Rundown: Fare Increase, MAX Cuts, Killing Free Rail, Oh My! by Sarah Mirk
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LoveThrones by Erik Henriksen -
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